Windows Media Player and Windows 10

So you do have a K/N/KN version?

Or this is a strange OS installation fault?

Richw23,

It sounds like you have one of the special N/K/KN versions of Windows [versions that were shipped without WMP].  Check this in the System dialog - right-click on Start button, Control panel, System.  What exactly does it say for your Windows version [Windows 10 Home/Pro N?]?  This means you must have upgraded from Windows 7/8 N/K/KN.  If not then I suggest reinstalling Windows 10.

The Media Feature Pack for N and KN versions of Windows 10 can be downloaded from Media Feature Pack for Windows 10 N and Windows 10 KN editions (November 2015) KB3099229 [note that this supercedes the earlier KB3010081].  The linked article contains the download links and a list of the features that are missing from the K/N/KN versions.

This is just an idea -

The instructions for downloading & making your own Windows 10 installation disk [see the procedural guide & links in Download Windows 10 and its companion FAQ page] do not even mention the K/N/KN versions. 

1. That makes me think that you could run a clean installation of Windows 10 that would give you all the missing features.  A repair install procedure using an installation disk might well achieve the same result with less disruption.
2. But I have not heard of anybody doing this for either a Windows 7 or a Windows 10 K/N/KN version.
3. Try searching these forum sections for activate Windows N/K/KN version or similar to see if there is any guidance available.
4. Does your original Windows 7/8 Certificate of authenticity label [the label containing the product key] specify that it is for a K/N/KN version?  Normal CoA labels specify the Edition of Windows for which the product key is valid - Home premium etc.  If you have a K/N/KN version but the CoA just says Home premium etc without the K/N/KN suffix then I think that means that you could install the normal version instead.
5. Because there seems to be no guidance on the subject, make sure you make a system image first so you can revert to what you have now if the clean installed / repair installed normal version cannot activate.
6. If you do have activation problems then the dialog in Settings, Update & security, Activation is supposed to change to give you the number of an activation Help center to call so you could try that.

Denis

Thank you so much. I will definitely follow up on your suggestions. I'm getting an .ISO from a friend that I can hopefully use for the repair.

Richw23,

It sounds like you have one of the special N/K/KN versions of Windows [versions that were shipped without WMP].  Check this in the System dialog - right-click on Start button, Control panel, System.  What exactly does it say for your Windows version [Windows 10 Home/Pro N?]?  This means you must have upgraded from Windows 7/8 N/K/KN.  If not then I suggest reinstalling Windows 10.

[Edited 23 Sep 2016]  The Media Feature Pack for N and KN versions of Windows 10 can be downloaded from Media Feature Pack for Windows 10 N and Windows 10 KN editions (November 2015) KB3099229 [note that this supercedes the earlier KB3010081].  The linked article contains the download links and a list of the features that are missing from the K/N/KN versions.  New version at Download Media Feature Pack for N versions of Windows 10 KB3133719 and see its info page [it is shocking to realise that there is no reliable way to identify the latest version of this download - the old info page says which version it superceded but is not annotated to show that it has also been superceded in turn].

This is just an idea -

The instructions for downloading & making your own Windows 10 installation disk [see the procedural guide & links in Download Windows 10 and its companion FAQ page] do not even mention the K/N/KN versions. 

1. That makes me think that you could run a clean installation of Windows 10 that would give you all the missing features.  A repair install procedure using an installation disk might well achieve the same result with less disruption.
2. But I have not heard of anybody doing this for either a Windows 7 or a Windows 10 K/N/KN version.
3. Try searching these forum sections for activate Windows N/K/KN version or similar to see if there is any guidance available.
4. Does your original Windows 7/8 Certificate of authenticity label [the label containing the product key] specify that it is for a K/N/KN version?  Normal CoA labels specify the Edition of Windows for which the product key is valid - Home premium etc.  If you have a K/N/KN version but the CoA just says Home premium etc without the K/N/KN suffix then I think that means that you could install the normal version instead.
5. Because there seems to be no guidance on the subject, make sure you make a system image first so you can revert to what you have now if the clean installed / repair installed normal version cannot activate.
6. If you do have activation problems then the dialog in Settings, Update & security, Activation is supposed to change to give you the number of an activation Help center to call so you could try that.

Denis

Hi,

Thanks for the advice.

I checked both Program Files folders and they both have a Windows Media Player folder but they both only contains 6 empty folders.

I have a friend who installed Windows 10 and in his case, under:

Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Programs and Features\Turn Windows Features on or off 

There is a collapsible entry named 'Media Features' with a check box. If you expand 'Media Features' you see 'Windows Media Player' with a check box.

I do not have those entries.

Also, Googling "windows 10 windows media player" brought up an entry (Windows Media Player 12 - Microsoft Windows) that took me here 

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-media-player-12

If you click 'Get Windows Media Player' at the bottom it takes you to,

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/download-windows-media-player

It says Windows Media Player is installed with the Windows 10 upgrade (from windows 7 in my case)

There is a "Learn More' link but it takes you back to the first page.

In summary I can't find any link that will let me actually download Windows Media Player 12 for Windows 10 - only ones that tell me I should already have it with nothing about what to do if I don't.

I see a lot of advice other places on uninstalling and reinstalling, but they all start with Windows Programs and Features / Media Features, which I don't have

Any help would be appreciated.